Currently around 850 million people in the world suffer from some type of kidney disease. “The kidney is often a silent traitor, so on many occasions the patient does not realize that it is stopping working,” explains Dr. María José Soler, from the Nephrology service at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital in Barcelona and member of the board of directors of the Spanish Society of Nephrology. Dr. Soler points out that there are two types of kidney failure, the acute and the chronic. “Acute kidney failure consists of an alteration in kidney function lasting less than three months, requiring targeted treatment and avoiding drugs toxic to the kidney such as anti-inflammatories and aminoglycosides,” he explains. Chronic kidney failure, for its part, appears “when there is an alteration of more than three months in kidney function and, therefore, It is already irreversible“, so the treatment must be focused on preventing it from progressing, which is achieved through medication and changes in diet and lifestyle.”
The doctor explains that the function of the kidney is “eliminate toxic substances from the body, so if they are not eliminated they accumulate. This causes many people to need a machine that artificially performs kidney function: dialysis.” The expert also remembers that kidney pathology is complex, since it can affect other organs. Currently, the patient admitted to a Nephrology service is the one with the greatest complexity and she points out that “according to research, in 2040 chronic kidney disease will be the fifth cause of mortality in the world”.
The kidney is often a silent traitor, so on many occasions the patient does not realize that it is stopping working.”
The main risk factor for kidney failure is diabetes and some of the symptoms, often mild, that can indicate that we are facing a kidney pathology are fatigue, irritability and swelling, among others. “Fatigue occurs because the kidney intervenes in the synthesis of erythropoietin and its deficiency produces anemia,” explains Soler. Erythropoietin is a hormone produced by the kidneys and whose deficiency causes the bone marrow to not produce enough red blood cells. In turn, chronic kidney failure produces an alteration of mineral metabolism: vitamin D, phosphorus and calcium.
“Quitting smoking, doing regular physical exercise, resting well, hydrating properly and eating a healthy and balanced diet are fundamental steps for good kidney health,” explains Soler, who also recommends: avoid the abuse of certain drugs like anti-inflammatories. “They are not recommended if we have kidney failure, and we should not abuse them and consume them without rhyme or reason if we are healthy,” continues the doctor. It is also important to be very careful with the consumption of all these foods, which can affect our kidney health.
Sausages
Consuming excess salt increases the amount of sodium in the blood, which reduces the kidneys’ ability to eliminate water. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that daily sodium consumption in adults be less than 2 g (which is equivalent to about 5 g of salt). “Sausages and processed meats have excess salt due to their own production process, which can range between 1.9 and 2.3 g per 100 g,” says Encarni Pérez, a nutritionist who collaborates with FullMusculo. The expert recommends that we look at the amount of salt contained in the products we consume and Let’s always choose those that contain a maximum of 1 g per 100 g. “In the case of heart patients, this figure should not exceed 0.25 g,” warns Pérez.
Precooked vegetable broths and cubes
They also contain large amounts of added salt and, for Pérez, it is essential replace them with homemade vegetable broths without added salt. “The idea is that, little by little, we eliminate the salt that we add to the foods we cook at home, something relatively simple to which the palate will progressively get used to,” says the expert, who recommends opting for the use of spices. and herbs to give flavor to our dishes. “It is important to keep in mind that a large number of products we purchase already have added salts, so it is very easy to exceed the WHO recommendations if you also We also cook with salt in our homes.s”, explains Medicadiet nutritionist Álvaro Sánchez.
whole dairy
Although full-fat dairy products contain short-chain saturated fatty acids, which have been shown to be beneficial for the body, as well as protein and calcium, it is advisable to consume them in moderation if we do not want the kidneys to work excessively. “Proteins are eliminated through the kidneys in the form of urea, so we are forcing them to make extra effort,” explains Pérez. This does not mean that we should eliminate proteins from the diet, since they are essential both for maintaining muscle mass and for other functions of the body, but that we should not abuse them. “This macronutrient, which is found mainly in products of animal origin such as meat, fish, eggs or dairy products, should be consumed in moderation and always combine its intake with that of fruits, vegetables and greens.” In fact, according to Harvard’s Healthy Plate, the new food bible that has replaced the classic pyramid, Proteins should not exceed 25% of daily intake, and should preferably come from legumes and foods of plant origin. The Healthy Plate also recommends limiting the consumption of red meat and completely eliminating processed meats.
Packaged beverages
Juices, soft drinks and energy drinks They should be eliminated from the diet for numerous reasons. Firstly, they usually contain large amounts of added sugars, and also “they displace water consumption, which is what interests us to maintain healthy kidneys,” says Pérez. For his part, Soler recommends his patients drink a minimum of 2 liters of water daily, since it is necessary to filter and excrete waste products from the blood. “To older people, who They have been gradually losing the sensation of thirst“I always recommend doubling your usual intake in cases where you drink very little,” explains the doctor.
Alcohol
According to an article published in Alcohol Health and Research World, alcohol consumption can alter the hormonal control mechanisms that govern the kidneys, in addition to producing an imbalance in electrolytes. In fact, some people complain of kidney pain after consuming alcohol. This is because the kidneys filter water with the help of antidiuretic hormone, a hormone produced by the pituitary gland that can be affected by alcohol.
Pickles
Pickles are false friends that we consume believing that they are healthy when, on many occasions, They have large amounts of added salt. “When adding salt to preserve them, pickles should be taken very moderately,” says Pérez. The same thing happens with preserved foods in general, of which the nutritionist recommends looking at the labeling to know exactly how much salt they contain and avoiding all those that exceed 1 g per 100 g. In this same category, Pérez includes some Typical vermouth foods such as bagged potatoes. “Many of those on the market contain up to 3 g of salt, an exorbitant figure,” explains the expert, who also advises against other very common snacks, such as salty crackers.
Red meat
In addition to a large amount of protein, red meat, like fish, dairy products and eggs, is rich in phosphorus, a mineral essential for the formation of bones and teeth, which also collaborates in the activation of certain enzymes and promotes cellular activity, among other functions. “Healthy kidneys are capable of eliminating excess phosphorus“But in the case of kidney failure it is important to moderate the consumption of this mineral, since when excess phosphorus cannot be eliminated it can accumulate in the blood and cause damage to the bones,” concludes Pérez.
This article was published in La Vanguardia on November 27, 2020